Michigan State picked up third transfer commitment Sunday night.

Outside linebacker Anelu Lafaele — a former fourstar prospect out of Honolulu, Hawaii — announced his commitment to Michigan State late Sunday night.

He played zero snaps for the Badgers last season despite being a top recruit. He has four remaining years of eligibility.

The Spartans are hoping to tap into the potential that made Lafaele the 27th-ranked edge rusher in his recruiting class last season.

He earned those marks playing for his father’s Farrington High School program, where he made 30 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks his senior year.

Lafaele is the nephew of two NFL alumni. One uncle, running back Nate Ilaoa, played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007. Another uncle, center Samson Satele, played for the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Indianapolis Colts in an eight-year NFL career from 2007 to 2014.

Lafaele is the third commitment on Sunday alone, joining offensive lineman Matt Gulbin (Wake Forest) and cornerback Malcolm Bell (Connecticut).

The Spartans have added 11 transfers since the transfer portal opened Dec. 9, with Sunday’s trio joining offensive linemen Luka Vincic (Oregon State) and Caleb Carter (Western Carolina); wide receivers Chrishon McCray (Kent State) and Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee); running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (Sacramento State); defensive tackle Grady Kelly (Florida State); and defensive backs NiJhay Burt (Eastern Illinois) and Joshua Eaton (Texas State).

MSU adds coveted Wake Forest lineman, UConn DB from portal

It’s clear that the Michigan State football team knows where its weaknesses lie.The Spartans added their third offensive lineman and defensive back of the transfer cycle in former Wake Forest guard Matt Gulbin and former Connecticut cornerback Malcolm Bell.

Both announced their commitments Sunday via social media. Both address key shortcomings for last season’s team, both in quality and depth.

At 6-foot-4 and 296 pounds, Gulbin brings considerable size, especially for a mobile guard.

He played in all but one game for Wake Forest the past three seasons after redshirting his first season with just three games played in 2021. In 909 snaps in 2024, Gulbin allowed just one sack. He was also a top run-blocker and an All-ACC honorable mention. Gulbin came to Wake Forest as a three-star prospect out of Wilton, Connecticut.Gulbin brings significant reinforcement for a position group that struggled last season.

The Spartans’ offensive line struggled to block for a run game that finished 109th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with just 115.3 rushing yards per game. Gulbin’s play against ACC opponents suggests he can help from the guard position.

In pass protection, the unit didn’t fare much better.

Quarterback Aidan Chiles hit the deck on 30 sacks last season, a number that would’ve been worse if he didn’t flush from the pocket under immense pressure. A better offensive line can give him more time in the pocket, which may also help reduce his gaudy 15 turnovers last season.

Bell joins Michigan State after four seasons with Connecticut, where he signed four years ago as a threestar prospect out of Montreal, Quebec. Bell totaled 96 total tackles and 13 pass deflections in his career with Connecticut. Seven of those tackles came against Gulbin’s Wake Forest this season in a narrow 23-20 Huskies loss. Bell never has hauled in an interception in his career, though he did force a fumble against Duke in 2023.

Michigan State continues to stockpile defensive backs after already picking up Burt and Eaton earlier this month. Bell brings even more depth.

That’s a commodity the Spartans learned the value of last season, when they saw at one point seven defensive backs out with injuries.